[Avodah] MA - by Name or by appearances

[Zev Sero via Avodah]

On 28/08/17 20:25, Rabbi Meir G. Rabi via Avodah wrote:


 > Based on the Meshech Chochmah, I think it is fairly reasonable to
 > assert that Ben PeKuAh is not NAMED meat.

Ah, so this is your own supposition, *not* a given from which 
conclusions may be drawn.


> Reb Zev also asks, but I must ask him to explain - what happened when 
> HaShem determined that the Yidden were not Yidden but BeNei Noach until 
> they got the Luchos? Why did the angels not then renew their objection 
> and not let Moshe go down with the second set?

I refer to the medrash that compares Moshe Rabbenu to the shushvin who 
rips up the kesubah and claims that the queen was not yet married when 
she strained; so too Moshe Rabbenu claimed that since the Jews had not 
yet received the luchos they were still Bnei Noach, and thus shituf was 
permitted to them.

But whether you follow this medrash or not, lechol hade'os we hold that 
our ancestors before matan torah were Bnei Noach, and the status of 
Yisrael began only around that time (on the 4th of Sivan according to 
the Rambam).  The avos were Bnei Noach, and their keeping of mitzvos was 
merely a chumra.  Otherwise we'd have the absurd situation that Moshe 
Rabbenu was a mamzer -- and so are all kohanim to this day, and so was 
Dovid Hamelech and all his descendants!

-- 
Zev Sero                May 2017, with its *nine* days of Chanukah,
zev at sero.name           be a brilliant year for us all